Eden Cafe – The Little Cafe that Could

Many of our friends who live ITL (Inside The Loop, a Houston term for the part of town inside I-610) maintain that there’s nothing OTL (Outside the Loop) worth the drive. In our experience, they couldn’t be more wrong.

We’d been hearing good buzz about a small cafe that had opened in a strip center at the far northwest corner of the Woodlands, and finally got a chance to check ’em out last night.

Eden Cafe is a small family owned establishment that serves a wide variety of cuisine. They’re serious about variety: They have daily specials that are based on a specific cuisine. Tex-Mex Tuesdays, Italian Wednesdays, Comfort Food Thursdays, and Seafood Fridays (the day we visited.)

I ordered one of the specials – blackened tilapia. It was a beautiful tilapia filet expertly prepared, tender, moist, and nicely spicy. The sides were ver good as well: A mild Greek salad with plenty of feta, and a scoop of sweet potato casserole, rich, earthy, and loaded with nuts.

We also sampled their chicken-fried chicken, which was superb. Very moist, hand-breaded with a light, crispy breading, it was accompanied by a grilled squash/zucchini side that was delicious.

Another winner was the Pasta Marsala. A large serving of penne pasta with plenty of grilled chicken, mushrooms, squash, and a rich marsala wine sauce.

Prices are surprisingly modest. There’s nothing on the menu over $13.

The restaurant was packed on Friday night, but the service was still friendly and professional. The owner, Ulises Larramendi, was greeting guests (many of whom were obviously regulars) and making sure things were flowing smoothly.

Browsing the menu, we discovered that Eden Cafe also has a full breakfast menu on Friday and Saturday (’till 3pm on Saturday.) They’re closed Sunday and Monday.

Eden Cafe is a winner. It’s a comfortable, casual cafe that serves very well-executed food. It’s a worn phrase, but there’s really something for everyone.

For those coming from ITL, it’s a bit of a hike, but we think it’s worth it. There are hundreds of small, family run cafes in Houston, but we’ve yet to find one that offers such a wide variety of food that is so expertly prepared.